Culture and Society in The Odyssey - 1037 Words

Homer’s epic poem, â€Å"The Odyssey† reveals many aspects of ancient Greek life and culture through character and plot. Through each of the tales circling the life of Odysseus and the Greek people, Homer depicts the history, legends, values, and merits of the ancient Greeks. Greek culture is known to be one of the most flavored and thorough in history, and each facet of it—from religion to ideology to mentalities and beliefs. The Greeks valued intelligence and wit very strongly. â€Å"The Odyssey† offers countless examples of this. In fact, Odysseus himself gets out of many tough situations and conquers many obstacles with his wit and cleverness. He tells Polyphemos the Cyclopes that his name is â€Å"Nobody† and succeeds in blinding him and getting†¦show more content†¦Feasting was commonplace at the time. In â€Å"The Odyssey† the suitors are constantly feasting, hosting drinking contests, and so on. Finally, perhaps the most vital and well-known aspect of Greek culture is its religious beliefs and ideologies. Deeply pious in the gods, the Greeks believed the Zeus guarded the world with other Olympian gods, and these higher beings determined each individual’s future. Fate and destiny were believed in, and sacrifices were constantly committed in order to please the gods and gain their favor. Prayers to the gods for aid and help were common. Prophecies were numerous, although accurate ones were rare. And of course, the Greeks believed in the Underworld, a dreadful land with Hades as its ruler. â€Å"The Odyssey†, being in a Greek lifestyle, is naturally filled with references to these religious beliefs and thoughts. Odysseus and his companions often made sacrifices to the gods. He visits the Underworld to speak with the blind prophet Tiresias who accurately predicts Odysseus’s travels. Because of the prophet’s words, Odysseus is able to make his journey safely. As for a general point of view on life, the Greeks were extremely optimistic. They believed strongly in the strength of justice and that righteousness would always prevail over evil. They believed that determination and endurance would always win in the end. Homer constantly refers to this broad, universal point in â€Å"The Odyssey† with the triumph of Odysseus over theShow MoreRelatedExamples Of Archetypes In The Odyssey1291 Words   |  6 PagesArchetypes in The Odyssey All humans have ideals and patterns in common. Humans from a thousand years ago and humans in modern times have archetypes. Archetypes are characters, actions, or situations that are repeated in all human life. Archetypes are found in myths, legends, dreams, films, music, literature and several other forms of entertainment. In fact, The Odyssey, a prominent piece of writing, contains many archetypes. The Odyssey is a 3,000 year-old epic written by Homer in Ancient GreeceRead MoreVarying Cultural Structures in Homers The Illiad and The Odyssey1008 Words   |  5 PagesGreek mythology deals significantly with culture and its factors, as they describe the societies and the people inhabiting it by depicting their everyday life and the state of their land. Both Hephaestus, in Homer’s Iliad, and Odysseus, in Homer’s The Odyssey, set out to portray the cultures that they saw, yet the cultures and societies varied greatly, from Hephaestus illustrating the highly developed soc ieties of the Greek and their culture; while on the other hand, Odysseus seems baffled by howRead MoreExamples Of Archetypes In Homers Odyssey1292 Words   |  6 Pagesfact, The Odyssey, a prominent piece of writing, contains many archetypes. The Odyssey is a 3,000-year-old epic written by Homer in Ancient Greece. It describes the adventures of Odysseus. As well as being found in The Odyssey, archetypes are evident throughout Greek culture. These archetypes depict the ideals and beliefs of the Ancient Greeks. Through Homer’s use of archetypes in The Odyssey, the reader gains insights into Ancient Greek culture. Three major archetypes shown in The Odyssey includeRead MoreAnalysis Of O Brother And The Odyssey 1707 Words   |  7 PagesCulture Changing Classics As the world evolves, so does it’s cultures; furthermore, there are some exceptional parts of all cultures, such as literature, that manage to not become lost with the changes in the world, but these also become subject to the evolution of culture. A great example of a piece of culture that has managed to endure the test of time is Homer’s The Odyssey, and epic poem telling of Odysseus, a warrior and a king, and his long and trying journey back to his home country(FaglesRead MoreThe Codes Of Fidelity And Hospitality In Modern Society706 Words   |  3 PagesIn modern society the codes of behavior are described as etiquette that   each society member is expected to follow.  In ancient Greek culture it was very essential to follow codes of behavior. In the first half of odyssey there are several codes of behavior spotted like hospitality, vengenance, fidelity, household loyalty, and reverence. The particular types of codes of behavior that will be discussed in this essay are fidelity and hospitality. Hospitality is an important aspect in society where guestsRead MoreHomer’S Two Tales, The Iliad And The Odyssey, Are Both1749 Words   |  7 Pagestwo tales, the Iliad and the Odyssey, are both incredibly well known and widely taught across the world and at many different levels of education. Some call Homer the â€Å"greatest poet to ever live† and although this can be disputed his works truly speak for themselves and have braved the test of time quite well. This paper will cover who/whom Homer is as a person, or persons, and the time period of his writings, the truths versus the dramatizations of the Iliad and Odyssey, how the author’s perspectiveRead MoreHomer s Epic Poems, The Iliad And The Odyssey1254 Words   |  6 Pagesexisted in Ancient Greece. Nonetheless, it is agreed that Homer is one of the first writers that have shaped our culture immensely. Homer gives us a look into what morals the Greeks followed and what their beliefs were. Homer shows us how the Greeks put these beliefs into action by presenting multiple struggles that our characters must go through. Homer’s epic poems, The Iliad and The Odyssey, are thousands of years old. Yet, whoever reads these pieces of literature today can somehow relate to its charactersRead MoreOdyssey Code Of Behavior Essay808 Words   |  4 Pagesmodern society, the codes of behavior are described as etiquette that each society member is expected to follow. In ancient Greek culture, it was essential to follow codes of behavior. In the first of Odyssey, the code of behavior seen is hospitality and fidelity code. Ho spitality is an important aspect of the society where guests are treated equally to God. A fidelity code is a loyalty between husband and wife. One of the most prominent codes demonstrated in the first half of The Odyssey is hospitalityRead MoreEssay about Gift-Giving in Beowulf and the Odyssey1707 Words   |  7 PagesGift-Giving in Beowulf and the Odyssey Literature has always been an immensely helpful resource when discerning cultural values in societies past and present. Through the study of noteworthy historic fictional and factual, texts we are able to distinguish parallel characteristics present through many different cultures and time periods. These distinguishing characteristics are one of the main things that help us to determine when and how a society, or world culture as a whole changes as time movesRead MoreHospitality As A Code Of Conduct1074 Words   |  5 Pages Hospitality was deeply embedded in ancient Greek culture. Hospitality was very important and seen as a code of conduct. The term used to describe the concept of Ancient Greek hospitality was xenia. Xenia is basically the generosity and courtesy shown to guests, strangers, or those far from home. Xenia consists of two rules. The first rule is from host to guest, in which the host must be hospitable to the guest and provide basic needs (food, drink, and a bath). The host also has to hold all questioning

Essay Greek and Roman Governments - 772 Words

Greek and Roman Governments The Greek democratic and Roman republic governments each had their own positive and negative aspects making them similar, yet exclusively different. Both have had tremendous influences on governments in our modern world. Rome was a republic where the leaders were chosen through voting, while Greece practiced a more direct democracy in which the citizens participated in the crucial decision-making within the government. This paper will attempt to diagnose the fundamental similarities of each government coupled with the not so obvious differences. Based on the evidence from each type of government, it is clear that each were similar and different in numerous ways, in particular the way each government†¦show more content†¦The second major similarity between ancient Greek and Roman civilizations was that their citizens voted on who to make their elected officials, however the difference was that each culture differed in their definition of a citizen. The Greeks only recognized native-born males having the right of citizenship, women and slaves could not be citizens and therefore could not vote. The Romans on the other hand, recognized foreigners residing within Italy as half-citizens giving them full legal rights but not the right to vote. Greece mostly voted into office people of middle- to upper-class citizens, whereas Rome only voted in the rich 10% of their population. Even though history seems to show that the Greeks were more fair by randomly selecting citizens to run for office, the Roman government specifically chose who would run for election similar to our political race today where the Republican and Democratic parties choose who will be there candidates. The third similarity/discrepancy noted between these two cultures is the hierarchy. Greece did not elect representatives primarily because their population was small enough that they could practice a more direct democracy, where the citizens actually participated in the politics . On the other side of the coin, the Romans did practice a representative democracy by electing two consuls to act as heads of state.Show MoreRelatedGreek and Roman Concepts of Citizenship and Government1361 Words   |  6 PagesGreek and Roman Concepts of Citizenship and Government Joe Wickenden, Sarah Dowling, Ginger Snyder, Leone Hansen HIS/341 October 27, 2014 Joel Getz Greek and Roman Concepts of Citizenship and Government The definition of citizenship in Greek and Roman cultures can be described much differently than the current democratic definition of contemporary nations. The Roman Empire differed from the Athenian Amphictyony and the Assyrian Empire as well as the sunder later emperors such as VespasianRead MoreAncient Greek And Romes Impact On Western Literature1642 Words   |  7 Pages The impact greek and roman culture had on western civilization The ancient Greeks and Romans were two of the greatest civilizations of the ancient world. The two civilizations thrived in their ancient environments which eventually led to a large amount of wealth within these two cultures. It is because of this that these ancient cultures were able to make a variety of advancements in literature, architecture, art and many other fields. These two civilizations also produced some of the ancient world’sRead MoreThe Roman Republic And Its Political Impact On Our Government925 Words   |  4 PagesThe Roman Republic and Its Political Impact to Our Government Have you ever taken a moment to think about the roots of our government? Since the beginning of civilization, humans have had an impulse to form governments. It is an experiment thousands of years in the making. Governments were created out of the need to protect people from conflicts and to provide law and order. The question then arises; who did America model its government after? Many historians say that America followed in the footstepsRead MoreAncient Greece And Roman Civilizations790 Words   |  4 Pagesancient Greek society would practice beliefs and traditions that would lead to the development of advanced civilizations. It started as the Greeks beliefs which would help develop the Roman society, which would later lead to contributing to the development of the Byzantine Empire. The Byzantines would help influence Europe during the Middle Ages, and Europe’s ideas and practices would lead to helping and impacting the modern western civilization with their ideas and be liefs. The Greeks showed influenceRead MoreGreek and Roman Culture Essay examples1240 Words   |  5 PagesGreek and Roman culture, although similar, are very different and interesting. Since the Romans adopted culture from the Greeks, many traditions are the same. When the Romans conquered the Hellenistic cities, they became fascinated with the idea of a Greek style of doing things. All things Greek were now considered popular. This is how much of the Greek way of life made its way into the Roman society. The first part of culture that the Romans adopted was the Greek art. Scores of Greek paintingsRead MoreGreek And Roman Civilizations : Greece And Ancient Civilizations1498 Words   |  6 Pages Greek and Roman Civilizations In examining the impact that the ancient world has had on modern Western civilization, the two ancient civilizations which are frequently understood as having had the greatest influence are Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome. These two civilizations would eventually come to shape much of what would become the modern European culture, politics and society, and by extension, a vast proportion of global culture and society. In examining the trajectory of modern historyRead MoreThe Greek and Roman Influence over Modern America1431 Words   |  6 PagesThe Greek and Roman Influence over Modern America The Greeks and the Romans were among the most influential societies in the history of the world. Evidence of Greek or Roman influence can be found in almost every culture or country that has ever existed. Though both cultures were different in practice and incredibly competitive with one another, their politics and their beliefs set the stage for future civilizations, including those of the modern world. In particular, the values and practices ofRead MoreGreek And Roman Civilizations : Greece And Ancient Civilizations1503 Words   |  7 Pages Greek and Roman Civilizations In examining the impact that the ancient world has had on modern Western civilization, the two ancient civilizations which are frequently understood as having had the greatest influence are Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome. These two civilizations would eventually come to shape much of what would become the modern European culture, politics and society, and by extension, a vast proportion of global culture and society. In scrutinizing the trajectory of modern historyRead MoreGreek And Roman Comparisons And Contributions1698 Words   |  7 Pages Greek and Roman Comparisons and Contributions Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome are responsible for many facets in today’s world. In fact, when reviewing history, the Greeks and Romans are sometimes confused with one another. There are many shared traditions, but yet there are many differences between the two. The countries are both Mediterranean, however they had different social class structures, different mythology, and placed different values on life. Ancient Greece was vibrant in the fifthRead MoreGreek And Roman Ideas778 Words   |  4 Pages Greek and Roman Ideals When considering the ancient Greek and Roman ideals you can see the distinct similarities in their art, government, monotheism, and architecture. The Romans duplicated many of the Greek styles and modified them to suit their lifestyles. Greece and Rome influences can be seen in art today with the use of concepts, techniques, and styles that were founded by the Greek classical ideal. These include techniques for carving sculptures and the construction of massive metropolitan

Mrsa Research Paper Free Essays

MRSA Prevention in American Hospitals: A Review of the Literature Jenny Niemann AP Language and Composition Mrs. Cook November 4, 2010 Abstract Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a harmful and virulent antibiotic resistant bacterium that is a major concern in most American hospitals. Modern scientists are aiming to discover effective prevention methods for MRSA in hospitals, so productive prevention guidelines can be created. We will write a custom essay sample on Mrsa Research Paper or any similar topic only for you Order Now Clinical microbiologists such as K. Nguyen, J. Cepeda, and M. Struelens all conducted clinical trials in separate American hospitals. They employed different MRSA inhibition techniques, such as hand hygiene, isolation, and MRSA screenings, which were tested on a wide range of patients. The analyzed results revealed that despite controversies, methods exist that could be successful in preventing and controlling MRSA infections. Final Outline I. Introduction A. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is the most commonly identified and perhaps the most lethal antimicrobial-resistant pathogen in the world and the rates of this infection are steadily increasing globally B. (Bryce, 2009, 627). C. Current studies present numerous safety measures that could provide an effective regiment for preventing MRSA infections in hospitals. II. Body A. Kim Nguyen’s clinical study has perhaps gained the most media attention for its promise to show how simple, inexpensive measures, like hand hygiene, can reduce MRSA infection rates. 1. Study of hang hygiene program 2. Results of study 3. Evaluation of hand hygiene in prevention B. In the clinical trial conducted by Jorge Cepeda (2005), infective disease control professor at the University College London Hospitals, another preventative technique was investigated. . Description of isolation trials 2. Results of trials 3. Analysis of possible uses C. The evidence provided from another article indicates that screening for MRSA can also protect patients and reduce infection rates. 1. Clinical trials of screening 2. Results of trials 3. Potential flaws described III. Conclusion A. In attempt to protect the safety of people in hospitals an d in the community, there are numerous prevention methods that could be implemented to create a successful MRSA prevention regiment. B. All in all, MRSA is and extremely deadly and virulent bacterium, but with the use of newfound prevention methods, everyone can be protected. MRSA Prevention in American Hospitals: A Review of the Literature Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is the most commonly identified and perhaps the most lethal antimicrobial-resistant pathogen in the world and the rates of this infection are steadily increasing globally (Bryce, 2009, p. 627). According to an article by clinical microbiologist, Jason Surg (2008) concurred, â€Å"Recently, in American hospitals, the rate of MRSA infections was 31. per 100,000 persons admitted per year† (p. 642). It is recorded that there are more than 100,000 cases related to MRSA per annum in the United States alone, adding up to an estimated health-care bill of over 5 billion dollars (Bryce, 2009, p. 627). Today many scientists believe because of MRSA’s ability to quickly evolve into separate strains that there is no way to halt th e spread of the bacterium (Bryce, 2009, p. 628). However, microbiology teams across the world have seen enormous success in reventing MRSA transmissions in hospitals with simple measures. For example Kim Nguyen (2009), Jorge Cepeda (2005), and M. Strulens (2010), all conducted clinical trials, performing different successful prevention tactics. Current studies present numerous safety measures that in combination could provide an effective regiment for preventing MRSA infections in hospitals. Kim Nguyen’s clinical study has perhaps gained the most media attention for its promise to show how simple, inexpensive measures, like hand hygiene, can reduce MRSA infection rates. During the study conducted by Nguyen and her team in the Urology ward at the Texas Medical Center in Houston, Texas, more than 2377 patients were admitted and assessed throughout the two section study (20008, p. 1298). The first section served as the indicator for baseline occurrences of MRSA in the ward, while during the second section the hand hygiene program was initiated. Nguyen (2008) explains the hand hygiene program by stating: The hand hygiene program consisted of a 1h training program to all staff on the Urology ward and daily intervention to train relatives and reinforce hand hygiene in all staff. Posters demonstrating hand hygiene were put up throughout the ward and bottles of SoftaMan hand hygiene lotion were mounted at patients’ bed ends. (p. 1299) The number of MRSA infections was then recorded for both sections of the study, and the data was analyzed. The ratio of infected patients compared to the number of admitted patients during each section resulted in a 13. 1% infection rate in the baseline study, and a 2. 1% infection rate after the hand hygiene program was implemented (Nguyen, 2008, p. 298). Nguyen also recorded the estimated personal costs of the experiment, calculating that the SoftaMan antibacterial lotion cost about $0. 60 per patient, translating into a significantly lower cost than MRSA infection treatment (Nguyen, 2008, p. 1298). Contrary to popular belief that simple and inexpensive antiseptic hand hygiene programs do not significantly reduce infections in hospitals, the infection percent rates in this study were decreased by 84% (Nguyen, 2008, p. 12 98). With limited MRSA transmissions in the health care field, it could lead to better patient outcomes and safer hospital environments for patients and staff (Nguyen 2008, p. 1299). In the clinical trial conducted by Jorge Cepeda (2005), infective disease control professor at the University College London Hospitals, another MRSA inhibition technique was investigated. Isolating MRSA colonized patients was the technique Cepeda and his team studied. The prospective trial was conducted in two general medical-surgical intensive-care units of two American teaching hospitals for 1 year (Cepeda, 2005, p. 95). All 21,840 entering patients were swabbed and tested for MRSA, and MRSA-positive patients were moved to a single cohort isolation room. While a patient was in the isolation room, policies for hygiene remained constant. 6 months into the study the practice of isolation was abandoned, and the rates of MRSA infection were once again recorded. The crude (unadjusted) Cox proportional-hazards mod el showed evidence of increased transmission during the latter non-isolation phase in both hospitals (Cepeda, 2005, p. 96). The evidence represented up to a 62. 2% decrease in the proportional-infection transmission rates when isolation was used (Cepeda, 2005, p. 295). Cepeda then concluded, â€Å"Moving MRSA-positive patients into single rooms or cohorted bays reduces cross infection† (Cepeda, 2005, p. 297). However, Cepeda also reported possible flaws stating that, â€Å"Despite lower transmission severity scores, isolated patients are visited half as often as are non-isolated patients (5 ·3 vs 10 ·9 visits per h)† (Cepeda, 2005, p. 296). Because transfer and isolation of critically ill patients in single rooms carries potential risks, the findings suggest a variant of isolation could be used in intensive-care units where MRSA is endemic. Although isolation was successful in reducing MRSA, it was not a risk free technique, leading to the investigations of other innocuous prevention methods. The evidence provided from another article indicates that screening for MRSA can also protect patients and reduce infection rates. M. Struelens (2009), a member of the U. S. epartment of clinical microbiology, describes in his article that, â€Å"Active surveillance (or screening) for MRSA carriers is the systematic use of microbiological tests able to detect mucocutaneous carriage of MRSA by individuals without clinical infection† (2009, p. 113). This strategy is regarded as highly effective because of its direct search-and-destroy nature. Screening is generally accomplished by swabbing areas such as the throat or nose, wit h recent technology allowing the cultures to be processed in less than 20 hours, with a 95% sensitivity rate (Struelens, 2009, p. 16). By identifying a carrier of the MRSA disease, the transfer of infection can be immediately stopped by treating the source with certain antibiotics. This elimination of MRSA colonies not only prevents the spread of infection in hospitals, but the entire community (Bryce, 2009, p. 627). Struelens does mention MRSA screening flaws in his conclusion reporting that, â€Å"There is an urgent need for health care professionals and diagnostic companies to assess the cost-effectiveness of these tools. In addition, greater harmonization of surveillance and typing schemes is needed to facilitate cooperation in an effort to control the MRSA pandemic† (2009, p. 116). Besides minimal flaws, Struelens expresses hope for the future of MRSA surveillance due to its success and reliability in multiple different trials (2009, p. 117). In attempt to protect the safety of people in hospitals and in the community, there are numerous prevention methods that should be implemented to create a successful MRSA prevention regiment. The various techniques in MRSA prevention, which include hygiene programs, isolation, and surveillance, have all been clinically tested and proven successful. However, there is further research that can be conducted to determine the cost-effectiveness of these methods, as well as to establish the most successful approach to combining the prevention techniques. All in all, MRSA is and extremely deadly and virulent bacterium, but with the use of newfound prevention methods, everyone can be protected. References Bryce, E. (2009). Hospital infection control strategies for methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus and clostridium difficile. American Medical Association Journel, 180 (6), 628-631. Retrieved from www. ebscohost. com Cepeda, J. , Whitehouse, T. , Cooper, B. , Hails, J. , Jones, K. , Kwaku, F. , et al. (2005). Isolation of patients in single rooms or cohorts to reduce spread of MRSA in intensive-care units: prospective two-centre study. Lancet, 365(9456), 295-304. Retrieved from www. ebscohost. com Nguyen, K. (2008). Effectiveness of an alcohol-based hand hygiene programme in educing nosocomial infections in the Urology Ward of Texas Medical Institute, Texas. Tropical Medicine International Health,  13(10), 1297-1302. doi:10. 1111/j. 1365-3156. 2008. 02141. x Struelens, M. (2009). Laboratory tools and strategies for methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus screening, surveillance and typing: state of the art and unmet needs. Clinical Microbiology Infection,  15(2), 112-119. doi:10. 1111/j . 1469-0691. 2009. 02698. x Surg, J. (2008). Methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus in hospitals. Clinical Microbiology and Infection, 13(8), 642-643. doi:10. 1111/j. 1445- 2197. 2008. 04605. x How to cite Mrsa Research Paper, Essays

The Wild Duck Essay Research Paper The free essay sample

The Wild Duck Essay, Research Paper The Wild Duck In the Wild Duck, Henrik Ibsen begins his drama by stressing the value of colour and visible radiation. He uses the subject of visible radiation to contrast Old Werle, a stingy rich adult male, with Old Ekdal, a hapless helpless adult male. Ibsen connects the colour viridity with the loss of seeing of Old Werle. Angstrom possible matter between Old Werle and Gina, Hedvig # 8217 ; s female parent, may propose the cause of Hedvig # 8217 ; s loss of sight. By utilizing Sun and Moon, Ibsen establishes the ambiance of the scene. The narrative line deteriorates from peaceable to tragic. Similarly, does the scene in the last four Acts of the Apostless. In the Wild Duck, Henrik Ibsen employs the image of visible radiation to portray certain features in order to build the secret plan and to set the temper of the scene. F.L. Lucas analyzes the gap agreement and writes # 8220 ; In the outer room the lamps are dimmed, with green sunglassess, in contrast to the glare of the room behind # 8221 ; ( 190 ) . We understand that this meant that the outer room, lit with soft and shaded visible radiation, implies poorness, where as the interior room, illuminated with bright tapers, expresses wealth. The darkened room, insinuating poorness, is the office in which the hapless Old Ekdal # 8216 ; does some excess copying, # 8217 ; and in return receives a little income. The inside room, stand foring wealth, is Old Werle # 8217 ; s dining room where he was hosting a party. The differentiations of these two lit suites contrast Old Ekdal and Old Werle. # 8220 ; In contrast to Werle # 8217 ; s party, the lighting is of comparative poorness # 8216 ; on the tabular array a lighted lamp # 8217 ; # 8221 ; ( 190 ) , explains critic, F.L. Lucas. Unlike Old Werle # 8217 ; s expensive and keen light, a little cheap lamp lights the Ekdals place, exposing poorness. This unsimilarity shows another important differentiation between Old Werle and Old Ekdal. The differentiations of the visible radiation between Old Ekdal # 8217 ; s and Old Werle # 8217 ; s places is illustrated in the undermentioned incident.It is brought to the reader # 8217 ; s attending that in the undermentioned citation Old Werle and Old Ekdal were spouses in offense. # 8220 ; [ Old Werle ] escaped by the tegument of his dentitions, # 8221 ; while they sentenced Old Ekdal to prison. This incident resulted in extreme hatred toward Old Werle for his hapless assistance to Old Ekdal. Bing that Werle had a huge sum of money, Old Ekdal, Hjalmar, and Werle # 8217 ; s boy, Gregers felt enormous feelings of animus. Gregers recognized the suffering support his male parent has given to the Ekdals. As a consequence Gregers moves in with the Ekdals and efforts to enrich the matrimony of Gina and Hjalmir, due to the fact that his parents didn # 8217 ; t acquire along. Gregers takes the attack of truth to better the matrimony, which is another major subject of the Wild duck. # 8220 ; A clip to maintain silence, and a clip to talk, # 8221 ; was sagely stated by Ecclesiastes. Unfortunately, here it was # 8216 ; a clip to maintain silence # 8217 ; and Gregers did non. F.L. Lucas examines the colour viridity. # 8220 ; Why green sunglassess? Because Old Werle is get downing to lose his sight. And that oculus problem links him significantly, by familial with small Hedvig, likewise threatened by sightlessness # 8221 ; ( 190 ) . He besides explains that green is known to be the most helpful coloured shadiness to forestall sightlessness. This lighting early in the Wild Duck intimations that # 8216 ; [ Old Werle ] is traveling blind # 8217 ; which relates him to Hedvig, where # 8216 ; there is every chance that she will lose her eyesight. # 8217 ; # 8220 ; Further, viridity is the colour of romantic unreality-the universe of the Wild Duck caught in the seaweed below the Waterss of the fiord # 8221 ; ( 190 ) , adds Lucas. The colour viridity, a symbol of phantasy, is comparable to the universe of the wild duck, which the characters use to # 8220 ; diverge themselves # 8221 ; from world. The shadiness viridity is a nexus of two secret plans of the Wild Duck. One apprehension of the colour green intimations to the loss of sight which suggests an matter between Old Werle and Hedvig # 8217 ; s female parent, Gina. Another account of the green show is to correlate phantasy with the wild duck. The latter understanding involves Old Ekdal who is an angry adult male life in the yesteryear on the runing evidences of the duck. The first account of green consequences in Hedvig perpetrating suicide because of her choler. Hjalmir happening out that Hedvig is non his girl, neglects Hedvig ; this provokes her suici de. Green, typifying choler, intimations two separate secret plans which end in rage. In the last four Acts of the Apostless Ibsen uses natural visible radiation to put the temper of the drama. In each scene the light conditions lessening, as does the secret plan. In the first of these four Acts of the Apostless, the gorgeous Moon illuminates the phase and in the undermentioned scene the Sun rises and world of the matter nears. However, in the 4th act of the Wild Duck the Sun diminutions as does the narrative line. The last scene of the drama describes a cold snowy twenty-four hours, in which the self-destruction of Hedvig occurs. Lucas depicts act two as follows: # 8220 ; The wild duck # 8217 ; s loft is opened # 8216 ; clear moon raies shine in on some parts of the great room # 8217 ; : Note great non poky. This happy runing land of semblance is huge and shadowy ; and illume by the juggling thaumaturgy of moonlight # 8221 ; ( 191 ) . The olympian freshness of the Moon illuminates this scene. Though the room is little, in footings of infinite, he refers to it as # 8216 ; great # 8217 ; because of the phantasy and semblance of the Attic. The Moon which symbolizes semblance visible radiations the Attic where the wild duck helps fullfill the flight to phantasy. Old Ekdal # 8217 ; s runing land phantasy is besides satisfied by the lighting semblance of the Moon. Not merely are the scenes of this scene important, so are the contents of this act. He introduces the wild duck in this scene and so is the narrative of the # 8216 ; clever Canis familiaris # 8217 ; that # 8216 ; went down and got the duck up # 8217 ; from # 8216 ; the grasses and roots and weeds. # 8217 ; This is an illustration of how Henrik Ibsen sets the temper of the scene and expresses primary subjects through the show of visible radiation. # 8221 ; # 8216 ; The daytime falls through the big Windowss in the slanting roof. # 8217 ; Cold world approaches # 8221 ; ( 191 ) . Lucas # 8217 ; account of this citation is merely that # 8216 ; cold world # 8217 ; occurs during the daylight. The Moon and Sun differ, in that at dark dreams are dreamed and at daylight they are world. This contrasts the old scene from the present scene, by agencies of puting and contents. During this scene Gregers tells his male parent that he has his male parent to # 8216 ; thank for the fact that [ he is ] being haunted and driven by a guilty conscience. # 8217 ; Immediately after this scene, Gregers alerts Hjalmir of the matter between Old Werle and Gina. These illustrations of # 8216 ; cold world # 8217 ; besides show Ibsens consistence of parallel scenery and content. # 8220 ; Afternoon light ; the Sun is traveling down ; a small subsequently the scene Begins to turn dark # 8221 ; ( 192 ) , delineates Lucas. The Sun, established to represent world, was puting, but the Moon, typifying phantasy, semblance, and dreams, was non yet reflecting ; instead there was no beginning of visible radiation, the scene was subdued and shaded, as the temper of the drama deteriorated. Gina admitted her matter with Old Werle and explained that # 8216 ; [ Old Werle ] didn # 8217 ; t give up boulder clay he had his way. # 8217 ; As the scene darkens, the secret plan follows, exhibiting Ibsen # 8217 ; s flow of diminution throughout the drama. The last scene of the drama is a # 8216 ; cold grey forenoon visible radiation. Wet snow lies on the large window glasss of the skylight. # 8217 ; The sunlight is gray instead than yellow, boding calamity. The snow and cold conditions attention deficit disorder to the twenty-four hours # 8217 ; s somberness. This ugly illustrated scene is parallel to the monstrous self-destruction of Hedvig. The fact that this twenty-four hours was Hedvig # 8217 ; s birthday may propose that she was the perfect individual, populating an exact figure of old ages. Why did she decease at such ayoung age so? It was the destiny of her male parent, Hjalmir, being # 8216 ; the 13th adult male at the tabular array # 8217 ; at Old werle # 8217 ; s party. Through the different types of light, the reader is able to contrast Old Ekdal from Old Werle, in order to get down the narrative. Ibsen carefully uses the colour viridity, to enable two secret plans to organize. One deduction of the colour viridity, is the matter between Old Werle and Gina, through oculus problem. The 2nd, is the sad life of ld Ekdal life in his yesteryear. In the last four Acts of the Apostless Ibsen makes the scene correspond to the contents, the Moon with felicity and daytime analogue to world. The deficiency of visible radiation is correspondent to darkness in the scene. Finally, Grey sunshine, along with coldness and snow, correspond to Hedvig # 8217 ; s decease. In the Wild Duck, Henrik Ibsen applies the image of visible radiation to show certain properties in order to piece the narrative and to change the temper of the drama. 322

‘night, Mother by Marsha Norman A Critical Analysis Essay Example

‘night, Mother by Marsha Norman: A Critical Analysis Essay ’night Mother by Marsha Norman is a thought provoking play. The entire drama is contained in the single act of the mother (Mama) and daughter (Jessie) talking. The subject of their conversation surrounds the casual yet sudden announcement by Jessie that she is going to end her life. One of the hallmarks of good theatre is depth of characterization. In ‘night Mother we find rich psychological profiles of the two main characters. The play also excels in another measure, namely, its minimalism. Just through a single day’s conversation between a mother and a daughter, the playwright is able to paint a rich persona and emotional tapestries of the main characters. By articulating the psychological motivations for their thoughts and actions, Marsha Norman is able to showcase the characters’ depth. Norman’s plays, including ‘Night Mother, feature recurring motifs. Some prominent motifs are: â€Å"the relationship between parent and child, usually mother and daughter; the inescapable encroachment of the past the present; and, perhaps most tellingly, the struggle between rationalism and faith. The plays encourage the possibility of religious faith, but with choice as an essential ingredient: Faith — like feminism — demands autonomy.† (Coen, 1992, p.22) In ‘Night Mother, we see all of these motifs at work. There are also references to Christianity and Jesus Christ, but the author keeps them at the periphery of the main narrative. Likewise, monologues are employed to capture the character and personality of the speaker. In ‘night Mother monologues serve as key devices for improving the theatrical and dramatic effect of the play. Through this device, we learn how, Jessie, despite her drastic resolution to end her life, is actually trying to gain control over her life. This is a reflection of how things outside her circle of influence have straddled on her will, autonomy and dignity. (The Christian Science Monitor, 2004, p.15) We will write a custom essay sample on ‘night, Mother by Marsha Norman: A Critical Analysis specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on ‘night, Mother by Marsha Norman: A Critical Analysis specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on ‘night, Mother by Marsha Norman: A Critical Analysis specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Through the exposition of the particular life circumstances of Jessie and her mother, Marsha Norman is treating universal human concerns. For example, one of the main reasons why Jessie decides to end her life is the deep sense of loneliness and helplessness she experiences frequently. She makes it clear to her mother that her company doesn’t alleviate her loneliness even a little. Jessie’s physical ailment in the form of epilepsy has led to a restricted lifestyle and limited job opportunities. These in turn have created numerous frustrations for her, which have led to frequent bouts of depression and suicidal ideation. But Jessie’s is not an unusual case in modern society. In America today, tens of millions of psychiatric prescriptions get written each year. People go through a high degree of stress in their workplaces. The work-life balance is often skewered in favour of the former. The institutions of family and marriage are falling apart gradually. In such a society, people increasing feel alienated, confused and desperate. When health complications like that faced by Jessie are added to the mix, life does appear hopeless and bleak. What Martha Norman seems to be suggesting is that Jessie’s life is a symbol of a broader social fact. In this vein, ‘Night Mother is a poignant dissection into modern human condition. Through the past and present lives of Jessie and her mother, a ‘bi-regional’ perspective is evidenced in the play. The bi-regional perspective in ‘Night, Mother is found in the â€Å"philosophical intersection of Midwest and South, though the regional poles are never identified as such or specifically grounded in either history or tradition. ‘night, Mother enacts a more existential impasse that never gets resolved. In order to understand the fascinating bi-regionality of this award-winning play, we must position its characters, themes, and world-views in the context of two distinct American sub-cultures. ‘night, Mother showcases a stark conflict between world views, both â€Å"epistemological and ontological,† grounded in disparate geographic traditions.† (Radavich, 2011, p.116) For example, Jessie and her mother espouse very different social perspectives which are rooted in regional sensibilities. This abrasion of the Midwest with the South produces interesting dramatic outcomes as they play directly against one another. Indeed, ‘Night, Mother has this conflict at its core, though the author doesn’t dwell on cultural differences. Instead, the focus is more on the personal differences the characters’ regional backgrounds lend them. Interestingly, â€Å"this seemingly unconscious juxtaposition may result in large measure from Louisville’s [where the play is set] own double-sided perspective as a geographical melding of Midwest and South.† (Radavich, 2011, p.115) The manner of construction of dialogues and monologues help dramatize this conflict. For instance, Jessie’s announcement to her mother about her impending suicide is concluded with the remark â€Å"I can’t say it any better† (28). This suggests her perceived inadequacy with language. The descriptions of her mother and father are consistent with the literary and cultural traditions of the American Midwest. For example, her late father is remembered as â€Å"Big old faded blue man in the chair† who liked to spend time thinking about â€Å"His corn. His boots.†. (47) Her mother, on the other hand, is a typical Southern housewife, in that she is very chatty and curious. Her mother is also one who is indirect and tactful, a quality symbolized by her love of all things sweet tasting. It is fair to claim that ‘Night Mother is deeply concerned with the human condition on account of it â€Å"helping to open up a national dialogue about forbidden issues†. (The Christian Science Monitor, 2004, p.15) Two of these key issues are suicide and to a lesser extent epilepsy. In fact, if the play were written now, â€Å"Jessie’s decision to exert control over her life by choosing her right to die would undoubtedly be judged in the context of the â€Å"how to† suicide manual Final Exit, and Dr. Jack Kevorkian, who made headlines recently as a proponent of doctor-assisted suicide.† (Coen, 1992, p.22) Finally, while admitting the several positive features of the play, most important of which being its psychological probity and concern for the human condition, one of its flaws should be pointed as well. For example, feminists received the play somewhat ambiguously, with many uncomfortable with the easy choice of suicide as a solution to women’s problems. This, feminists perceived as a rather tame response, especially in the backdrop of the absence of supportive male characters for Jessie. For example, she is divorced from her husband, estranged from her brother; her father is dead and her son is delinquent. (Coen, 1992, p.23) Works Cited â€Å"Answering the Unanswerable.† The Christian Science Monitor 5 Nov. 2004: 15. Coen, Stephanie. â€Å"Marsha Norman’s Triple Play.† American Theatre Mar. 1992: 22+. Radavich, David. â€Å"Marsha Norman’s Bi-Regional Vision in â€Å"Night, Mother.† The Mississippi Quarterly 64.1-2 (2011): 115+.

Cuál es el costo de sacar o renovar pasaporte americano

Cul es el costo de sacar o renovar pasaporte americano Lo que cuesta el pasaporte americano depende de una serie de factores, entre los que se encuentra la edad del solicitante, la urgencia de la peticià ³n, si se trata de una renovacià ³n o de sacarlo por primera vez o, incluso, de si se pide conjuntamente con una tarjeta de pasaporte.. Este documento solo lo pueden solicitar los ciudadanos de los Estados Unidos, incluidas las personas nacidas en los territorios de la Commonwealth, como por ejemplo, el Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico. Asimismo, se puede solicitar dentro de Estados Unidos o tambià ©n desde el exterior, a travà ©s de una Embajada o consulado. Es importante resaltar que el  pasaporte americano no se compra ni se vende, es necesario previo a solicitarlo haber adquirido la condicià ³n de estadounidense por nacimiento, naturalizacià ³n, derecho de sangre u otra forma derivada a travà ©s de los padres o adopcià ³n. Por el contrario,  sà ­ es posible comprar la residencia en Estados Unidos, es decir, la tarjeta de residencia a partir de una inversià ³n de ms de medio millà ³n de dà ³lares. Este es un modelo similar pero diferente al que siguen  estos 20 paà ­ses que tiene programas de adquisicià ³n ciudadanà ­a (pasaporte) y/o residencia a cambio de inversià ³n. Algunos son realmente interesantes. A continuacià ³n, un desglose del costo del pasaporte americano, segà ºn cada uno de los diferentes casos.. Costo del pasaporte americano para los ciudadanos de 16 aà ±os o ms Tanto en el caso en el que se solicita por primera vez como tambià ©n cuando se renueva la cuota a pagar $110. Adems, cuando  se trata de sacarlo por primera vez a esa cantidad deben aà ±adir separadamente $25 ms, en concepto de gastos de gestià ³n. Es lo que se conoce en inglà ©s como acceptance agent fee. Se tiene que pagar porque un funcionario federal da fe de la firma que se estampa en el pasaporte. Tanto en un caso como en otro si el solicitante quiere, a mayores del pasaporte, obtener una tarjeta de pasaporte deber pagar $30 ms. Estos precios arriba mencionados aplican tanto cuando se solicita el pasaporte en Estados Unidos o en el exterior en la embajada o consulado que corresponda. Todos esos costos son para el caso en los que no hay urgencia para solicitar ese documento y se puede esperar entre 4 y 6 semanas, que es lo que se viene demorando la tramitacià ³n regular. Adems, sà ³lo para los casos en los que el solicitante se encuentre en Estados Unidos podr pedir que la gestià ³n se tramite urgentemente.   Costo del pasaporte americano para los nià ±os menores de16 aà ±os Tanto en los casos en los que se saca por primera vez como en los de renovacià ³n hay que pagar $80 a los que hay que sumar siempre $25 en concepto de gastos de gestià ³n que solo hay que pagar cuando se aplica por primera vez, no al renovar. Si adems se solicitase una tarjeta de pasaporte, aà ±adir $15 al precio. Costo para acelerar los trmites para el pasaporte Si se solicita una gestià ³n de urgencia, pagar otros $60.  Esto aplica tanto en los casos en los que se solicita el pasaporte por primera vez o se renueva. Y no hay distincià ³n de precio segà ºn la edad del solicitante, es decir, pagan igual nià ±os que adultos. Y, adems $12.85 por servicio de mensajerà ­a urgente, si bien este servicio es opcional aunque recomendable. Costo de otros servicios relacionados con el pasaporte Pueden darse las siguientes circunstancias: Cuando el solicitante no encuentra documentos que prueben su ciudadanà ­a: $150 para que el gobierno investigue sobre posibles Reportes Consulares de Nacimientos en el Exterior o posibles pasaportes anteriores.Pasaporte robado o extraviado: $80 si se trata de un menor de 16 aà ±os y $110 para los que han cumplido los 16 o tienen ms edad. No hay que pagar si el solicitante se encuentra en otro paà ­s y su pasaporte ha sido robado o lo han extraviado.Correccià ³n de un error administrativo como equivocacià ³n en nombre o fecha de nacimiento: no hay que pagar.Cambio de nombre: no hay que pagar si el pasaporte actual vigente tiene menos de un aà ±o y se puede documentar legalmente el cambio de nombre (por ejemplo, por acta de matrimonio). Si se solicita un trmite de urgencia, à ©se servicio sà ­ que hay que abonarlo.Segundo pasaporte: $110. Los costos del pasaporte americano siempre se pueden verificar en la pgina del Departamento de Estado. Consejos para el paso de control migratorio y de aduanas Estos son los documentos que pueden utilizar los ciudadanos americanos para ingresar a su paà ­s, es importante estar informado porque aunque el pasaporte siempre se admite en algunos casos es posible que un ciudadano regrese a los Estados Unidos sin necesidad de mostrar el pasaporte. Y recordar que es posible acelerar el paso por el control migratorio cuando se regresa a los Estados Unidos por medio de la participacià ³n en ciertos programas, cada uno con sus propios requisitos. Por ejemplo: Nexus, entre Canad y Estados UnidosSENTRI, paso terrestre o marà ­timo entre Mà ©xico y Estados UnidosY Global Entry y APC para aeropuertos. Doble nacionalidad: quà © pasaporte utilizar en la frontera de Estados Unidos Por à ºltimo, destacar que si un ciudadano americano tiene doble nacionalidad y, por lo tanto, 2 pasaportes, debe tener siempre en cuenta que la ley requiere que el ingreso a Estados Unidos siempre se realice utilizando el pasaporte americano. Este es un artà ­culo informativo. No es asesorà ­a legal.

Personal reflection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 3

Personal reflection - Essay Example Much like what Gelb has said on his book, curiosity in the first step to genius. This is a trait that I possess. I am not easily fazed when there is a daunting task ahead. Instead, I try to keep calm and assert what needs to be done and in how things must be done. It is also the multifaceted approach to personal improvement that is discussed in ‘Quantum Leadership.’ Along with the changes in our society, there must also be the simultaneous change in the approach to leadership. â€Å"The leader’s role is to engage with the unfolding reality, perceive it, note its demands and implications, translate it for others and then guide others into action to meet the demands of a reality not quite present† (Porter-OGrady & Malloch, 2010). There had been times when I had been propelled to assume the role of the leader and take charge in having to complete a task given. As a group we had been given projects where there is research that must be accomplished. While others would be satisfied on having to make do with what is at hand, I try to exhaust all the resources that are available and not pass a half-baked project. There are times when what is necessary is not easily found but it becomes even more of an accomplishment when the same is done. Trying out new things is another part of leadership that I think highlight one’s capability. Instead of constantly applying the same ideas, it is best to break the norm in order to test the waters to improve. There are so many available technologies that I try to incorporate in order to let others participate in all aspects of work. It is by experience that I appreciate, together with others I worked with, that information is important to maintain a harmonious relationship . The availability of different modes makes this easier that there is no longer an

Analysis of Articles about Gender Studies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Analysis of Articles about Gender Studies - Essay Example She told them she always thought she had three. And that showed the extended family that the author seems to enjoy. For every person who is a part of the extended family, the author and her growth were more important than anything else. This made everything else immaterial. As the author points out, the pre-conceiving arrangement that the mothers went through ensured that the differences in their thought processes will not occur. There was enough leeway created between all of them and freedom to change their decisions. So much so that no one altered any of the decisions that were made. This made the entire process of bringing up the kid more interesting to the extended family. She was no ordinary child and whatever happened to every one of them was not an ordinary event. The author finally, justifies that the ideas and the opinions taken should be done so in the right spirit and this would ensure that the biotechnological advances made are used in the right spirit. There was nothing wrong or unnatural in the entire process. She does not feel in any way different from the others and neither did anyone else feel that way though many thought she was special. The questions will be: Creation of a human being either by cloning or by IVF methods is out of nature. Will this not give rise to a culture that has the least respect for the natural phenomenon? And will not this lead to a condition where the human race might overpopulate or try to control nature which otherwise could condition the environment in a much better way? While so, how can control and modifying natural occurrences influence the behavior of the human race? All these issues are not really dealt with by the author. When the perspective goes larger those questions come up. Whereas in the case of the author's analysis, she has restricted to her own view and to the views of the people around her.

Relationship between Venezuela and USA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Relationship between Venezuela and USA - Essay Example Latin America exerted new efforts toward integration. Moreover, the U.S. started to visualize a hemispheric alliance that would revolutionize the North-South structure of the American continent (Weeks 10). In Venezuela, the presidency of Hugo Chavez seemed to define a decisive moment, even a snapping point, whose importance should be explored within the perspective of the long-standing history of the relationship between Venezuela and the United States. This essay discusses the relationship between the U.S. and Venezuela. It focuses on Venezuela’s resistance to the domination strategy of the United States. The Interest of the United States in Latin America and Venezuela The key aspect of the relationship of U.S. with Latin American countries since the postwar period has been how these North and South regions of the Western hemisphere became profoundly engaged in the existence of each other in all possible ways—culturally, militarily, politically, and economically. Inter dependence became more evident during the post-Cold War years (De Escobar & Romero 39). However, the culmination of the Cold War did not produce interdependence, instead it exposed it. Latin American countries had been dependent on the U.S. for so long for popular culture, products and/or services, employment, security, technology, and investment capital. The people of the United States, in the meantime, had long desired the productive lands of Latin America, as well as its cheap labor and raw materials. However, the United States has sustained interest in Latin America for a much more important motive (De Escobar & Romero 39-42). Latin America and the U.S. had approximately the same population in 1945. However, by 2005 Latin America already surpassed the U.S. population. As the Latin American population continued growing, the region occupied an even bigger space in the imperialistic goals of the United States. Hence, in a period defined by issues of unilateral militarism, anti-Amer icanism, and globalization, the fusion of Latin America and the U.S. becomes more important than ever (Brewer 50). Venezuela’s democratic aspirations and its oil industry built special relations with the United States that eventually led to other developments: Venezuela’s aspiration to attain stronger independence, and bigger episodes that lessened the sense of Venezuela’s special status. Venezuela somewhat undervalued its relationship with the U.S. Similarly, the U.S. tended to disregard the fact that Venezuelan democracy would be successful (Brewer 81). In fact, forces undermining Venezuela’s national political system escalated gradually. By the 1990s, chaotic episodes in Venezuela would overturn several of these developments and pave the way for major reforms. If not for the uncovering of oil in Venezuela, maybe the United States and Venezuela would not have built the special relationship they have had from then on. The exceptional relationship built b y the extraordinary interest of the U.S. in securing stable oil supplies has been both the strength and weakness of their relations all over the 20th century (De Escobar & Romero 72). Venezuela has always expected that the U.S. would acknowledge their special position as trustworthy friends and have at times felt distressed and ignored that, sometimes, the U.S. has taken them for granted. This may not have been the situation during large-scale conflicts in Europe or other parts of the world, when the oil advantage of Venezuela became more valuable, but in ordinary times, and particularly since the expansion of energy sources that arose after the oil problem in the 1970s, Venezuela has at times fell into the bottom of U.S. priorities (De Escobar &

Climate Change In The Cradle Of Civilization History Essay

Climate Change In The Cradle Of Civilization History Essay The Fertile Crescent is a region in Western Asia, where ancient civilizations have developed. Population increases and intermittent dry spells in the region have resulted in agricultural innovations. The reason why this region is being called as Fertile Crescent is the fertile land and optimal climate conditions. Geographically speaking this area has been determined by Albert T. Clay as follow; The fertile crescent refers to an ancient area of fertile soil and important rivers stretching in an arc from the Nile to the Tigris and Euphrates. It covers Israel, Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, and Iraq. The Mediterranean lies on the outside edge of the arc. To the south of the arc is the Arabian Desert. On the east, the Fertile Crescent extends to the Persian Gulf. Geologically, this corresponds with where Iranian, African, and Arabian tectonic plates meet.  [2]   Furthermore, ancient history has showed us a positive correlation between fertile soil or appropriate climatic conditions and development of civilization. Therefore, Fertile Crescent which is also known as the cradle of civilization is the place where is believed to be home not only for the birthplace of various human civilizations but also other significant developments like writing and wheel. Appropriate climatic conditions are vitally important factor on development of civilizations. And the reason behind the occurrence of first civilizations in Fertile Crescent is the agricultural production that fed by the rain. Moreover, As a result of agricultural production and long term settlement, some of the first cities of human being on world have occurred in the Fertile Crescent. Many different civilizations like Natufians, Sumerians, Babylonians, Amorites, the Hittites, and  Assyrians have accrued in the  in this small region of the world. Researches on proxy records and excavations show the period of climate changes are often correspond to social change period as well. In other word, climate changes have crucial impacts on development of societies and its particularity. In this research paper, Im going to look over the major Climate Change in the Fertile Crescent from 10,000 B.C. to 2,000 B.C. Particularly, to con on how the climate influence agriculture and what kind of impact it had on civilizations that occurred in that region.   11,000 to 10,000 B.C. Younger Dryas 15.000 year ago, the impact of Ice Age chill extended into the heart of south-western Asia. From Greece to Egypt, the eastern Mediterranean lay under the influence of north-easterly anticyclonic winds that blew from the high-pressure masses over the Scandinavian and Siberian ice sheets.  [3]  Even though there were regular rainfalls the weather was dry. Tauros Mountains in Turkey, Jordan rift valley and Sinai Peninsula were seasonal landscapes where most of the Ice Age Bands lived in. Main source of nutrition were seeds and fruits, which depended on seasonal rainfalls. When the great warming began, the northeasterlies subsided. Moister air flows from Atlantic and Mediterranean brought higher rainfalls. Warmer conditions after 13,000 B.C. saw a rapid increase in acorn-rich oak forests, documented in pollen samples from ancient lake beds in eastern Iran, the Jordan Valley, and other locations  [4]  . With the impact of great warming, small bands that lived over a vast area of Fertile Crescent become highly mobile. This means larger territories for hunters. When it comes about 11,000 B.C. a series of drought have occurred, which has endured for many generations: Younger Dryas. Younger Dryas is a major cooling and drying climatic event with global impact for human settlement, subsistence and influenced cultural developments at the origins of agriculture  [5]  . Several scientists have developed different theories about resolution of climatic and environmental reconstructions across the transition to agriculture and development of societies. One of the most accepted theory has been developed by Gordon Childe which is named as Propinquity Theory. Childe argues that a desiccation trend forced humans into close contact with plants and animals surrounding permanent water sources. However many theorists came later have disproved Childes theory. Natalie D. Munro express those pro-arguments against Childes theory as follow climatic instability introduced by the Younger Dryas reduced the distribution of cereal crops, lowered carrying capacity, and thus uprooted the sedentary way of life that began 14.5-13/12.8 thousand calibrated years ago  [6]   In order to lighten the relations between climate change and development of civilization during the period of Younger Dryas, different studies have been focus on settlement of Abu Hureyra(à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‹â€ 11,500 B.C), which is located at Euphrates  valley in modern Syria. Natufians were the first known settlers of Abu Hureyra. It has been stated that Theres nothing particularly distinctive about Natufian toolkit: the people relied on the same simple hunting weapons as their neighbours and predecessors. But a glance at their artefacts highlights the importance of plants foods in their lives such as pastels employed for pounding nuts or numerous mortars  [7]  . Food like acorns and pistachios were vitally important storable surpluses for Natufians, which kept them in same location. For about 500 years, the Abu Hureyra people(Natufians) had meat supply from hunting gazelles as well. In the course of time, constant food surpluses created bigger communities. However, a rapidly growin g population brought conflicts over foods particularly in dry years. After about 11,000 B.C. the classic strategies of social flexibility and mobility no longer sufficed, not only Abu Hureyrans, but also thousands of people living elsewhere in southern Asia. According to Brain Fagan no longer could people simply move away to better-watered locations, or fall back on less favoured ones.  [8]  By passage of time, population located in many parts of Fertile Crescent have increased and they start to become less mobile. New permanent locations were defenceless to any rapid climatic shifts, particularly to long drought events. There are different theories on why and how the Younger Dryas has happened. One of the most accepted theory argues that the Younger Dryas was caused by a significant reduction or shutdown of the North Atlantic  thermohaline circulation. However, geological evidence is standing far away from this theory. In fact, what has been more important for people of Abu Hureyra and other small communities around Fertile Crescent was dramati c temperature fluctuation. People struggled to maintain their lives because they have stopped to gather fruits from trees, nuts from the forest which were in a not reachable distance anymore. Only 400 years later wild cereal vanished and even pistachios became less common. In the length of time, landscape became more arid and the people became familiar to drier weather. However, the fight between nature and mankind remained and they took the next virtual step of civilization. In about 10,000 B.C., people start to domesticate seeds (rye, einkorn, and lentils)  [9]  However, because of bigger population the problem of vegetation still remained. As a result, its necessary to underline that the extreme cooling of climate, Younger Dryas, could have great impacts on civilizations as it has impeded the progress of early civilization. 10,000 B.C. to 8,000 Domestication So far my research question has focus only on what happened during Younger Dryas event and pre-conditions for possible first farmers of mankind in history. But there are still remaining questions to be answer in order to reveal the relation between climate change and its consequences on civilizations. Todays advance technology and knowledge provides various way of travelling to past so as to understand the history of civilization. Recently, many different techniques/methods like tree rings, ice cores, mineral deposits, etc. have been developed by scientist for that purpose. Different ice core researches have provided us some of the most significant and exciting paleoclimate discoveries of the past. A research which has been done by an international team head by Richard Alley provided great information about climate records of hundred thousand years before present. Figure 1 provides information about snowfall and temperature ( °F) based on ice core data between à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‹â€ 18,000 BC to today. Figure 1 Greenland last ice core climate record greenlandTempRecent.png Source: Alley, The Two-Mile Time Machine, 2001. The temperature records from Younger dryas period show a clear picture of big freeze in world climate. As it can be seen from the figure when it comes to about 11,000 B.C, temperature record on ice core shows a radical change in temperature. Around 9,500 B.C., warming resumed and that was the end of Younger dryas. As the temperatures rose the world became warmer. And inevitably Favourable climatic conditions brought steady improvements in the Fertile Crescent environment, which encouraged the growth and spread of wild plants and animals that constituted food supply for an increasing human population.  [10]   Going back to the late Natufian settlements, a possible picture of Abu Hureyra after Younger dryas would be like that: some men would still hunt the gazelles every spring but in a harder condition because of the over demand. However, climatic condition would be much more adequate for people because of warmer temperatures and increased rainfall. Pistachio and acorn trees would start to bloomed again and the forests which have been disappeared during Younger dryas would soon flourish again. In addition, Jared Diamond argues that in this period the hunter-gatherers of Abu Hureyra evidently knew the local wild plants and they used that knowledge to select and bring home only the most useful available seed plants.  [11]  However they were not aware of the fact of being the first civilization who domesticated the plant. The first undisputed archaeological evidence for plant domestication comes from the Levant, a region on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean which includes present-day Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Jordan, and Palestine. At numerous sites throughout this area, evidence of the cultivation of emmer wheat, einkorn wheat, peas, flax, chick peas, bitter vetch, and barely has been discovered.  [12]  Assorted excavations from this area have the earliest determined date for plant (à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‹â€ 8,500 B.C) and animal (à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‹â€ 8,000 B.C.) domestication. However, Fertile Crescent was not the only location where domestication took place about that time. Surprisingly, dates for China are quite close to the Fertile Crescents as well. Wheat, pea, olive, dog, sheep and goat were the first plants and animals which have been domesticated in Fertile Crescent. On the other hand, rice, millet, pig and silkworms were the subjects of domestication in China. Mesoamerica (à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‹â€ 3,500 B.C. ) has been another independent origin of domestication in history. Evidently, domestication revealed independently in different geographical location in the world; within a few thousand years. During my research I have realise that many scientists who developed theories on agricultural origins (like Gordon Childe, Ronald Wright, Charlie  Byrne,   Robert Braidwood etc.) have focus on the worldwide synchrony of domestication and they have turn to climatic and environmental changes as an explanation of first agriculture. Particularly, its well accepted that there were radical and rapid climate changes took place with the final recession of the ice sheets. However, these theories have not been enough strong to convince the argument of similar climatic and environmental instabilities have happened many times in the past without sparking agriculture. For that reason, personally I believe that instead of a universal theory of origins of agriculture regional explanation approaches are m ore logical. Except few scientists many archaeologists have agreed on the Fertile Crescent as the location for earliest agriculture. What make the Fertile Crescent being the birthplace early agriculture are undoubtedly the conditions. Frank Hole, an archaeologist in Yale University, described the precondition of Fertile Crescent for the plants domestication as follow: 1) foods of high quality are abundant and can be stored, 2) there is severe seasonal availability of these foods, 3) the territory is such that the people cannot override the limiting effects of seasonality on food resources through transhumance, 4) the territory or the resources themselves can be modified by humans to increase their yields, and 5) non-food commodities such as dung, wool, antlers, bitumen, obsidian, and so on, can be stockpiled  [13]  He believes that the most the most important pre-conditions are possibly number 2 and 3. Personally, I believe that the fact of being able know how to store the high quality seeds is the most important pre-condition for domestication. Archaeological evidence on development of storages methods before domestication period in Jordan Valley show us the importance of this pre-condition to us clearly. Overall, when the essential plant species occurred in the region, people of Fertile Crescent have join the progress plant domestication necessarily. They have learned to gather and process the plant foods in sufficient amount, safety method(s) to store them, and distribute them. Another factor that had impact on domestication has been the rise in the sea levels. Increasing evapo-transpiration at the end of Pleistocene led to the drying of lakes and a rise in sea levels also would have affected the abundance and pacing of resources  [14]  . This conditions push the late Natufians took the first brave step towards cereals planting. This development has been very important for human being because it enhanced a food supply system. On the other hand studies form Abbo et al. concludes as follow; We argue against climate change being at the origin of Near Eastern agriculture and believe that a slow but real climatic change is unlikely to induce revolutionary cultural changes.  [15]  However, factors related to climate change are not the only ones that had impact on the domestication. Cultural settings, changing of landscape and changes in plants and fauna are other factors which have shaped the domestication as well. 8,000 B.C. to 5,800 B.C. Spread of Agriculture and the 8.2ky Collapse After domestication took place in the Fertile Crescent spread of seeds became inevitable. Soon after food production arose there [in the Fertile Crescent], somewhat before 8000 B.C., a centrifugal wave of it [spread], appeared in other parts of western Eurasia and North Africa farther and farther removed from the Fertile Crescent, to the west and east.  [16]  According to Diamond, the rapid spread had reached different locations as in the figure. Figure 2: The spread of Fertile Crescent crops across western Eurasia Source: Diamond; 1997; 181. Diamond emphasizes that the because of the geographical characters of Eurasia spread of agriculture from the Fertile Crescent into Europe, Asia, and North Africa was much faster than in other parts of the world. Any civilization where domestication of plants and animals arrived they ensured steady food supply as well. Naturally, population rose and villages became bigger and bigger to cities. When people of different locations became farmer, in a short period some the small villages took their first step toward being the cradle of many civilizations. By 8,300 B.C., farming villages flourished on the Anatolia plateau in central Turkey, some of them close to sources of lustrous obsidian, fine-grained volcanic glass much prized for tool making and ornaments.  [17]  Approximately in 7500 B.C., one of the extraordinary settlements that flourished in Anatolia was Çatalhà ¶yà ¼k which covers 13 hectares. Çatalhà ¶yà ¼k was an enormous settlement because many early farming villages covered around only one hectare. Studies show people of Çatalhà ¶yà ¼k were advanced in cereal agriculture and method to store them. This led them to grow rapidly and develop their civilization further. Another village was settled in the Jordan Valley names as Jericho, which was about 4 hectares. As Çatalhà ¶yà ¼k, Jaricho was also advanced in agriculture. In addition, becau se of their locations both villages grew from the benefits of long-distance trade. Probably, socio-economic conditions of early agricultural settlements in Levant, northern Mesopotamia, Anatolia, Balkans and eastern Mediterranean increased steadily until about 6,200 B.C. However, when Earths surface warmed again second post-glacial climate event, which is known as Laurentide ice sheet collapse, took place. When a big ice sheet collapsed, enormous amount of meltwater flowed out to the Gulf of Mexico and North Atlantic. This climate change led similar climate condition in Europe which happened during the Younger Dryas. Figure 3 shows Greenland ice climatic records extending to the last glacial maximum. In 6,200 B.C., the Lautentide collapse can be observed clearly. After the collapse, instead of warm and rainy weather of Mediterranean climate, Fertile Crescent occupied by colder and drier weather of northerner pattern. That was start of a disaster for many farming societies in Mesopotamia, Anatolia and even in Balkans. During the period of deglaciation that preceded the abrupt climate event of 6,400-6,000 B.C., a remnant Laurentide ice mass occupied Hudson Bay and served as an ice dam for glacial lakes Agassiz and Ojibway. The rapid collapse of ice in Hudson Bay allowed lakes Agassiz and Ojibway, which had previously discharged over spillways south-eastwards to the St Lawrence estuary, to drain swiftly northwards through the Hudson Strait to the Labrador Sea  [18]   Figure 3 Greenland ice climatic records extending to the last glacial maximum. Source: Fagan; 2004; 24 Research conducted by Shuman et al. about the event shows the result from lake level measurements and pollen data. Both data address the same result: a rapid climate change in North American happen because of the Laurentide Ice Sheet.  [19]  This rapid chance in climate is known as 6,200 B.C. or 8.2 kilo year(ky) event. In the same research authors questions the reason of the 8.2 ky event as well. Rapid transitions may result from abrupt changes in regional or global climatic controls that do not rapidly reverse whereas climatic oscillations appear to be the product of temporary forcing, such as meltwater pulses or glacial surges.  [20]   Another simulation research that has been carried out by various scientists on Rapid early Holocene deglaciation of the Laurentide concluded that during the 8.2 ky event melting water from Laurentide Ice Sheet rose the lakes Agassiz level about 1.3 and 0.7 cm of per year.  [21]  What is more important, a rapid rise in ocean level resulted floods at various places in the world. The results show a disastrous rise in global sea level which led to the flooding of the Euxine Lake and resulted a dramatic social change particularly in Southern Europe, Anatolia, and eastern Mediterranean Climate history proves that within about 4000 years the balances of climate changed again. The conditions push back the development of early civilizations again as it did during the Younger Dryas. Melting water from the Laurentide Ice Sheet resulted in Atlantic circulation again. However, there are controversial opinions about impacts of the 8.2ky event among historians and scientists. Some of them like Staubwasser and Weninger argue that there is a strong correlation between 8.2ky and cultural, social and economical changes in the Neolithic phase.  [22]  ,  [23]  They claims that the event had virtual impact on many of the farming villages including Çatalhà ¶yà ¼k, Jaricho, and Abu Hureyra for 400 years. Weninger et al. have put forward that the rapid spread of early farming to South-East Europe can be most plausibly understood as a direct and immediate reaction to abrupt climate forcing. The spread of early farming to South East Europe was extremely rapid and entirely synchronous with the catastrophic collapse of the ice dome above Hudson Bay at 8200 cal yr BP, many thousands of miles away  [24]  On the other hand, personally I think not many scientists have doubt about effect of this 8.2ky event on environmental settings. However, there are some suspicions about how this event affected developments of civilization. For instance, Weninger et al. proposed that the earliest pottery which has been discovered in Greece is associated with the incoming farming communities.  [25]  However, Budja, an archaeologist from University of Ljubljana, refuted this argument by claiming that potteries come out before the 8,200 B.P. within the hunter-gather framework at Danube Gorge, a region in Balkans.  [26]  Budja putting forth his argument by touching the first agriculture and animal domestication in Balkans but his argument has not been feeble because of lacking in evident. However, there are high number of scientist who believes that when 8,2 ky event happed farming villages were already settled near main European rivers. Furthermore, most probably, new climate condition pushed the farmers to the rivers and shore of lakes. Perhaps, people of Çatalhà ¶yà ¼k moved to western and southern coasts of Euxine Lake to remain their life at a place where the soil was still fertile and the weather conditions were favourable for farming. Unfortunately,  there is no reliable source of  information about these settlements yet. When it comes to the life in the Fertile Crescent, not much has been changed during the past centuries there. People were using the simple tools for agriculture and hunting. They did not have the knowledge and technical skills of using complex working tools. The distinction between role of the men and woman in society were still similar as after the Younger Dryas period. Fagan express the situation of societies in Fertile Crescent as follow: since people were still dispersed on patches of easily cultivated soil, they had space to pursue game, catch fish with traps and nets, and fora ge for grasses, fruit, tubers, and nuts in grassland and forest. Sedentary and farmers might be but their simple agricultural economy and regular depends on the game and wild plant foods gave them flexibility unheard of in later agricultural societies.  [27]  Overall, the 8,2 ky event has not been virtually determinative factor on development of the civilization in Fertile Crescent. However, when it came to 5,800 B.C., Atlantic circulation changed again, the moister conditions of Mediterranean weather turn back to the Levant. Before people of Fertile Crescents taking a further step trough path of civilization, another climate catastrophe happened in 5,600 B.C. 5600 B.C to 5400 B.C. Noahs Flood ? By 6,000 B.C., the last ice was coming to an end. The earths temperatures were raising consequently, North ice sheets were melting. That caused the rise of the World Ocean and pushing the Mediterranean Sea towards the Black Sea. One of the greatest natural disasters to affect humanity came in about 5,600 B.C. when the rising waters of the Mediterranean flooded the deep basin of the Euxine Lake, 150 meters below the Marmara, to form the Black Sea  [28]  . For a long time it has been recognized that because of the rise in Ocean level during glacial period, the Black Sea became isolated by Mediterranean and Marmara seas. Another hypothesis which has been widely accepted argues that Euxine Lake became the Black Sea by outflow from Mediterranean and Marmara Seas troughs Dardanelles channel and the Bosporus. However, in 1993 an American, Russian, Bulgarian and Turkish research team began to wonder if there could be a geological explanation for Nohas flood story and they concluded. This research team developed another hypothesis of an abrupt flooding of the Black Sea named as An Abrupt Drowning Of The Black Sea Shelf At 7.5 Kyr Bp  [29]  which argues that the Euxine Lake has been fed with the water coming from large massive ice in the far north. As a result the level of Euxine Lake rose dramatically within thousands of years. Its not difficult to think about the impact of this massive transformation on mankind lived in the region of Anatolia and Southeast Europe. Before coming to the possible impacts it is necessary to go into the details of this transformation. Figure 4 shows the water flows that passed from Euxine Lake/Black Sea trough Bosporus to Aegean and vice versa. Figure 4: Reconstructed Lake and sea levels between 17,000 to 7,500 B.P. Source: Ryan et al, 1997, 122. Note: Aegean (A), Sea of Marmara (M), and Black Seas (BS), and their connections/isolators via the Dardanelles (D) and Bosporus (B) The Laurentide collapse resulted in rise of Atlantic Ocean level until last glacial period. As it can be seen from the figure, in 7,500 B.P. the level of Mediterranean Sea was 15m lower than shorelines while this number was 30m in 9,000 B.P and 90m in 14,000 B.P. Moreover, as the Black Sea [Euxine Lake] was in very close vicinity to the Scandinavian-Russian ice cap, the melting water from the glaciers were supplied into the Black Sea through the major drainage system constituted by large European rivers (Danube, Dniepr, Dniestr and Bug)  [30]  By 5,600 B.C, Black Sea flood took place. Fagan described as fallow the Sea of Marmara was lapping at the edge of a shrinking berm. within days, the stream became a torrent, then a roiling waterfall flowing at over 90 km an hour. Soon the fertile deltas and river valleys vanished under water. The largest freshwater lake in the world rose at an average rate of 15 centimetres a day  [31]  . As it can be seen from the figure in a year late r the lake Euxine filled by the sea water came from Aegean and Marmara seas. In other word, Euxine Lake turned to be Black Sea in a short time period. This climate event has been related to the Noahs Flood by some scientists and editors of popular newspapers quite often. However, so far any hypothesis has not been enough to convince the scientific world. Going back to the main concern of this research paper, one of the greatest natural disasters that affect civilization was the Noahs Flood in about 5,600 B.C. And of course this climate event also had strong impacts not only on farming villages of Fertile Crescent, but also the settlements in Balkans and eastern Mediterranean. There are not enough sources to develop predicted results of the flood yet. But there is no doubted that such climate event may have been one of the most distractive event the earth have ever see. If Black Sea or Nohas Flood really did occur, it would be a monumental event in the development of civilization. I would have scared a large number of people to others part of the world and it would certainly change how later civilization would have evolved. Its uncertain how many people might have been affected by the flood. Probably, few hundred thousand of people have been affected by the flood. This number may not be so drastic if not taking account the world popul ation of this period. According to historian Luc-Normand Tellier from Quà ©bec University, before the appearance of agriculture total world population never exceed fifteen million inhabitants.  [32]  Overall, this event probably diminished a huge proportion of world population. Its believed that the spread of agriculture from Fertile Crescent to Europe, with migration of early farmers, in a short period is another consequence of the Black Sea flood. Probably, most of the early civilizations settlements, where the flood had reached have experience the harmful results of the flood like hunger, diseases, deaths, migrations. To sum up, this climate event had great impact on civilizations of the Fertile Crescent and other regions alongside. 5,800 B.C to 2,000 B.C. Climate Change and Sumerians The water [Black Sea flood] stabilized after about two years. Hundreds of villages lay deep below the now-saltwater sea. Settlements far inland now lay at the head of sheltered days or exposed to the fury of cold winter storms blowing onshore. But life went on as it always had, in a landscape dissected by countless rivers that led inland into an unknown terrain of endless for

Investigate how the concentration of hydrochloric acid effects the rate at which it reacts with calcium carbonate :: GCSE Chemistry Coursework Investigation

Investigate how the concentration of hydrochloric acid effects the rate at which it reacts with calcium carbonate Investigation Plan Aim === Investigate how increasing the concentration of the solution hydrochloric acid effects and alters the rate at which it reacts with marble chip, calcium carbonate. Rate of reaction is affected by six main factors * Temperature * Surface area of a solid * Concentration of a solution * Pressure of a gas * By using catalysts * Using biological catalysts called Enzymes As outlined above the rate of a reaction increases when temperature increases, the concentration of dissolved reactants increases, the pressure of gases increases, solid reactants are in smaller pieces and of greater surface area and also if a catalyst is used. For this experiment I have been asked to pay particular attention to the factor CONCENTRATION, and the ways in which it affects the rate at which a reaction takes place. We can measure the rate of reaction by measuring the time at which the products of the reaction are produced or the reactants used up and there are a few different ways of doing this such as: By measuring gas volume Here the marble chips and dilute hydrochloric acid are put in a conical flask. This is connected to a gas syringe, which collects and measures the volume of gas formed. At regular time intervals a measurement is then taken of the volume of gas collected. Another way to measure the volume of gas produced is to displace water from a measuring cylinder as per diagram below. We can also measure the rate of reaction by measuring mass loss here when a gas is lost the mass decreases, which can be measured by placing the flask on a balance. The last way is to note how long it takes for a precipitate to form such as in the chemical reaction "the thiosulphate reaction". I conducted a preliminary experiment and from this determined that the most reliable and accurate way to measure the release of carbon dioxide gas would be by using a measuring cylinder to see the displacement of water and therefore determining how much carbon dioxide has been produced. Hypothesis I predict that as time increases so will the amount of carbon dioxide produced however throughout the experiment the rate of reaction will slow because as time increases there will be less and less un-reacted particles present to take part in fruitful collisions and result in carbon dioxide water and calcium chloride being formed, this means that the time between fruitful collisions will increase because a particle will take longer to find another un-reacted particle with enough activation energy to collide and react with. I hypothesise that as the concentration of the hydrochloric acid

Can-can by Arturo Vivante and The Blue Film by Graham Greene

I have chosen to discuss ‘Can-can’ by Arturo Vivante and ‘The Blue Film’ by Graham Greene. I made this decision as I liked how both stories where about a married couple’s relationship which also involved another woman and yet whilst both stories appeared to end differently the overall meanings were in fact the same. When comparing both stories they showed multiple similarities as well as differences and I was interested in how both Vivante and Greene made use of irony, imagery and language to create an atmosphere and how both stories built up tension before reaching a climax. Arturo Vivante’s short story ‘Can-Can’ is about a husband who is having an affair with a woman called Sarah, who is also married. The story starts at the husband’s marital home, where his wife is playing with the children and does the can-can when one of them asks her to. It is at this point that the husband starts to question himself over his affair but still leaves and heads to a cafe, where he waits for Sarah. Sarah is running late and he hopes that she won’t turn up but she does and they head off to a lake house where the story ends with Sarah lying in his arms, however he is thinking of his wife doing the can-can. Whilst we initially do not know the story is about a husband having an affair, the first line in the story immediately arouses suspicion and raises the question that the husband might be up to something. ‘‘I’m going to go for a drive, he said to his wife. I’ll be back in an hour or two† (Vivante 1988:5). The husband doesn’t say where he is going or what he is doing or how long exactly he will be and the following line tells us that the husband disappearing for a few hours is actually quite unusual. He didn’t often leave the house for more than the few minutes it took him to go to the post office or to a store, but spent his time hanging around, doing odd jobs† (Vivante 1988:5). Vivante portrays the husband as being an ordinary, working class man who feels he is living a mundane life with his wife. However, his wife is described as being loving and playful, she laughs and dances and doesn’t question where he might be off to. The husbands mistress Sarah is the only character who Vivante gives a name to in the story, Sarah is described as being a middle-class woman who is in control of the affair and very formal with a good job and a car. â€Å"Phoning Sarah at her office†¦her asking him to call again next week, finally setting a date† (Vivante 1988:6). Vivante’s use of language in the story is very simple but he cleverly uses some French words to make things seem a bit more exotic and spicy, such as, ‘rendezvous’, ‘cafe’ and the ‘can-can’ itself. The imagery Vivante creates with the wife doing the can-can is a picture you take away with you and one that the husband clearly does. The husband doesn’t think his wife knows about his affair but we question that she might when she does this dance. â€Å"Her eyes had mockery in them, and she laughed† (Vivante 1988:6). Is the wife showing her husband what he is missing? The dialogue is scattered and ordinary, much reflecting the mundane mood and tone of the husband’s character yet the nervousness, guilt and uncertainty of the husband creates an atmosphere. Vivante uses a chronological narrative structure that is simple to follow and we know that the events are taking place according to occurrence. The plot is interesting and Vivante builds up suspense and tension whilst the husband is waiting for Sarah at the cafe with an increasing feeling of guilt. We wonder will he stay or will he leave, will Sarah turn up or won’t she? It reaches a climax when Sarah turns up and the husband almost appears disappointed. The husband doesn’t appear to know who or what he wants exactly. The novelty and excitement of the affair seems to have worn off and it has now become a chore, â€Å"The appointment was at three† (Vivante 1988:6) yet he can’t seem to walk away from Sarah. This reflects in the ironic ending when Sarah is lying in his arms but he is picturing his wife doing the can-can as she had been earlier in the day. The can-can appears to have had the effect that his wife wanted after all. Graham Greene’s short story ‘The blue film’ is about a married couple on holiday in Siam, now known as Thailand. Mrs Carter complains that the holiday is tedious, and urges her husband to take her to ‘Spots’. Mr Carter leaves the hotel in search of something. A little boy comes up to him and, after turning down his offers of a young girl and a boy, Mr Carter takes him up on the offer of a French film. Returning to the hotel, he picks up his wife and they set off together to watch the film. Mrs Carter finds the first film unattractive, but the second has ‘some charm’. It is not for some time, though, that Mr Carter realises that the film is familiar to him. When he does realise, he tries to get Mrs Carter to leave, but she refuses. It turns out that thirty years ago Mr Carter had been attracted to the young woman in the film. She had needed money, and he had helped her out by acting as her partner in the film. On the way back to the hotel, Mrs Carter professes herself shocked, but when they get back to their room she is in fact aroused, and makes love to her husband with a passion she has not known for years. Greene tells us straight away in the first line of the story that something is wrong with this couple and that they are not happy. â€Å"Other people enjoy themselves, Mrs Carter said† (Greene 1982:74). The couple would be from a middle-class background to be in Thailand and later in the story we are told that Mr Carter is a businessman. Greene portrays Mrs Carter as almost being desperate in wanting to please her husband Mr Carter, by wanting to be exciting and experiment but we learn that although Mr Carter quite likes experimenting himself, he simply doesn’t want to with his wife as he isn’t physically attracted to her and almost appears to want to get away from her. â€Å"When he looked at her neck he was reminded of how difficult it was to unstring a turkey† (Greene 1982:74). Greene uses a lot of dialogue throughout the story which plays an important role as Greene uses it to create building tension when Mr Carter realises it is him in the film and doesn’t want his wife to find out. Greene also uses the dialogue to create a picture of Mr and Mrs Carter, not only as individuals but what their relationship is like. â€Å"I’m sure we could find a better place than this. † â€Å"No†. (Greene 1982:77). Greene also uses a lot of description especially in regards to Mrs Carter, who he even unflatteringly compares to birds on occasion. â€Å"Her thin bare legs reminded him of a heron waiting for fish. † (Greene 1982:78). The story is narrated with the impressions that a woman’s worth is determined through her attractiveness and economic terms. For example Mr Carter compares his wife’s jewellery to slave’s bangles. Mr Carter wants to shock his wife in order to put her off, so that she doesn’t want to experiment but ironically it has the complete opposite effect. Another irony is that Mr Carter has gone to see something exotic and has ended up seeing himself. The ending has us realising that he has only ever loved the girl in the film and he has simply married his wife for business reasons, such as taking her to dinner parties. We know this as there are only two women in the story, the girl in the film and Mrs Carter, after Mr and Mrs Carter have made love, Mr Carter almost appears to feel abused and he feels lonely and guilty, so we can conclude it is not her that he loves. â€Å"It seemed to him that he had betrayed that night the only woman he loved. † (Green 1982:79) When comparing the two stories against each other we can see some noticeable differences. Can-Can appears to be set around the 1960’s-80’s in America, â€Å"going out to a call box† (Vivante 1988:6) and is about a young working class couple. The Blue Film however is set around the 1950’s, in Thailand and is about a middle-class middle-aged couple. It can be seen that whilst Vivante only names the mistress and not the husband and wife in Can-Can, Greene names the husband and wife but not the other woman in The Blue Film. Whilst in Can-Can Vivante uses minimal dialogue which doesn’t play much of a role, Greene’s use of dialogue in The Blue Film plays a very important part in establishing Mr and Mrs Carter’s relationship and their individual characters. The husband in Can-Can is seen as finding his wife attractive, â€Å"a smile that suddenly made her look very pretty† (Vivante 1988:5) and it is her he is thinking of at the end of the story however in The Blue Film, Mr Carter finds his wife extremely unattractive, â€Å"one so often mistook the signs of frigidity for a kind of distinction† (Greene 1982:74) and it is the girl in the film that he is thinking of at the end of the film. Greene creates a lot more imagery in terms of the setting, his wife, himself and the girl in the film whereas Vivante’s main use of imagery is his wife doing the can-can. In comparison whilst there are several differences there are also similarities. Vivante and Greene have written both Can-Can and The Blue Film in the third person and tell you what the husbands are thinking and feeling, guilt, tension, nervousness and uncertainty, both depicting the husbands as being in conflict with themselves and their decisions. Carter lay in the dark silent, with a feeling of loneliness and guilt† (Greene 1982:79). Both stories have lots of irony, â€Å"For a moment I was afraid you where thinking of your wife† (Vivante 1988:6) and the same theme of a husband having feelings for another woman outside of his marriage and the events that take place in both stories are that the husband makes love with this other woman. The openings of each story are similar and we know straight away that something isn’t right and whilst initially we believe that the endings are different, with Vivante ending Can-Can with the husband thinking of his wife and Greene ending The Blue Film with the husband thinking of the other woman, the prostitute, they are actually ending very similarly. Both husbands are thinking of the women they actually love and the ironic ending in both stories is that both are experiencing that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side.